Really Not a Simple Journey

Well, yesterday was the first time I had the opportunity to post in a while. I talked about the journey up North and the fact that travel is not really simple in Ghana. So, now let me share with you our journey back to Accra.
We left the North at 4:00 a.m. so as to avoid the traffic and perhaps reach Accra in time for dinner before 8:00 pm. We finally arrived at midnight, some 20 hours later and without the benefit of dinner along the way. A one hour drive just outside of the capital turned into 5 hours or more. Of course, everyone needed to use the toilet and we were hungry. Mike, Alan, and Anthony decided the side of the road did not look too bad as an optional toilet facility as we had no imagination of when we would get out of this huge traffic jam. Now, when I say traffic jam, I really mean jam. Some drivers decided to drive on the wrong side of the road into the on coming traffic. It was a measure I am pleased to say our driver did not take. As we wait, some of us are not so patient- we are hungry, we are tired, and we just want to be off of the bus.
Some of the drivers and passengers in the cars in front and behind us decide to have a meal and do a bit of shopping as they wait for the massive mess of traffic to begin to move along. You see, here you can buy almost anything on the side of the road. You want some new pots and pans, someone is caring them on the crown of their heads and you can purchase them. You want some toilet paper someone will sell you a role. You need some fruit, peppers or yam, you can buy it there is a young girl, an old woman, a young boy someone willing to sell.
It is difficult to complain about being hungry when you see people on the side of the road trying to earn $3.00 a day for their survival. Things are also put into perspective when it comes to what we complain about on a day to day basis in the States. After our trip, I don't think that I will complain about traffic again. Lena